Dredging apparatus



W. H. SEWARD. Dredging Apparatus.

No. 226,557. Patented April 13,1880.

fire/Zion Mbzesses 3 N-PETERS. PHOTD-LITHQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

DREDGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,557, dated April13, 1880.

Application filed February 19, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SEWARD, of the city and county of Albany,in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inDredging, Grappling, and Hoisting Apparatus, of which the followingis adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

This invention relates to dredging and grappling apparatus in whichopening and closing bucket or grappling sections are pivoted or hingedto a slotted frame and connected by rods with a sliding cross-shaftfitted to work up and down within the slots of said frame, pulleys beingprovided, with one of which the raising and lowering chain of theapparatus is connected, and others of which have chains attaching themto the bucket or grappling section.

Dredging or grappling apparatus of this description have been variouslyconstructed, the scoops or bucket-sections generally being presented inan open condition to the material to be raised, and by vibration ontheir hinges inclosing a load, the upper edges of the buckets orbucket-sections being in some constructions attached by links to apivot-rod, which is fitted to slide in slots of the frame. The generaloperation, however, is the same in all-that is to say, thebucket-sections, which are lowered in an open condition, are closed totake and lift the load by the combined action of a lifting-chainattached at its lower end to a main pulley controlling other pulleyswhich have independent chains connecting them with the bucket-sections,the latter, in their turn, being connected by rods with arising-and-falling shaft in the slotted frame of the apparatus.

This invention consists in a combination of an eccentric pulley for thechain by which the apparatus is raised or lowered and operated, arising-and-falling shaft, on which said pulley is fitted to turnloosely, and which is free to work up and down slots in the guideframethat carries the hinged bucket or grappling sections, a clutch arrangedto engage said pulley with said shaft when the bucketsections are inposition to take the load, a series of pulleys fast on said shaft andconnected with the bucket-sections by chains, and arms connecting thebucketsections with the sliding shaft, whereby the operation of openingand closing the bucket-sections is facilitated, and a singleworking-shaft in the pendent guide-frame suffices.

Figure 1 in the drawings represents a vertical section of a dredging orgrappling appa- 00 m, Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a horizontal section thereof onthe line y 3 Fig. 2.

A A represent the bucket-sections or grappling devices, pivoted at theirinner upper ends, as by a cross-bar or connection, I), to a frame, B.This frame consists of upright arms or sides, having longitudinal slots0 c in them, and connected by a cross-bar, 61, through which the raisingand lowering chain 0 passes to any suitable raising and loweringapparatus, or to a derrick or other pulley or means for carrying andworking the bucket-sections or grappling devices.

The outer upper ends of the bucket-sections or grappling devices areconnected by rods 0 c with a cross-shaft, D, having its bearings inboxes f f, which are free to slide up and down within the slots 0 cinthe upright arms or sides of the frame B.

The bucket-sections or grappling devices A A may either be of a close oropen construction, according to the purpose for which they are designed.In some cases they may be of a simple prong-like or bar construction;but they are here represented as of a close form or build.

Loose on the upper cross-shaft, D, is a grooved eccentric pulley, E,connected with which is the raising and lowering chain 0. This eccentricpulley is coupled and uncoupled when necessary, as hereinafterdescribed, by a Fig.3isasliding clutch, G, with and from the shaft D, bymeans of a spring, 5 and a clutch arm or lever, h, arranged to controlsaid clutch. Fast on the shaft D are chain-pulleys H, connectedby chains1 with the connection or cross bar I) of the grappling devices A A.

These several parts are adjusted in relation with each other to securethe following operation: The apparatus is first lowered by the chain 0with the bucket-sections or grappling devices A A open, the clutch orengaging and disengaging device G, which may be ofany suitableconstruction, being released from its engagement with the eccentricpulley E, which then assumes the position represented for it by fulllines in Fig. 1. As the chain 0 continues to be paid out after the openbucketsections have come to a state of rest, the loose eccentric pulleyE falls to the position represented for it by dotted lines in said Fig.1, and the clutch G automatically engages with said eccentric pulley. Anupward pull or draft is then made upon the chain O, which causes thelocked eccentric pulley E, its clutch G, the shaft D, and pulleys H Hall to turn in concert; and by the winding of the chains 2' on thepulleys H H the shaft is lowered to the position represented for it inFig. 2, and the bucketsections A A are closed, the locked eccentricpulley E being turned to a side position again, as shown in said figure,but not being fully turned, in order that it may continue its hold onthe bucket-sections to keep them closed during the elevation of thebucket. The clutch G is then released by means of a guy rope or chainapplied to the lever h, when the bucketsections open and drop inconnection with the frame of the apparatus. This causes the shaft D tooccupy its former raised position relatively to the slot 0, and theeccentric pulley E to have its upward turn completed and to assume itsnormal position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1.

By'means of the eccentric arrangement of the pulley E and the clutch G arapid and automatic engagement of said pulley with the shaft D is causedwhen the bucket-sections are at rest on or in the material to be raised,to provide for the lift of the load by the bucketsections when the chain0 is drawn upon for the purpose, and equal facility is afforded byreleasing the clutch for liberating the load after it has been raisedand for holding the bucket-sections open to commence a fresh dcscent. Afixed or supplementary pulley-shaft also is dispensed with, thevertically-sliding shaft carrying the several pulleys and clutch orengaging and disengaging device.

A segmental-shaped lever might be substituted for, and would be theequivalent of, the eccentric pulley E, inasmuch as the chain 0 neverfully encircles said pulley.

I claim-- The combination, with the hinged bucketsections or grapplingdevices A. A, and with the pendent guide-frame B and sliding crossshaftD, of the eccentric pulley E, arranged loose on said shaft, and havingthe raising and lowering chain attached to it, the clutch or engagingand disengaging device G, the pulleys H, fast on the shaft D andconnected by chains with the bucket-sections. and the rods or arms 0,connecting the latter with said sliding shaft, substantially as shownand described.

WV. H. SEWARD.

WVitnesses:

FEED. HAYNES, T. J. KEANE.

